anyone else dislike playing at private clubs?

[4thand11]

So I am most definitely not in the income bracket where I can afford a private club membership... however I've been invited as a guest several times and never really liked the experience. Perhaps it is just intimidation on my part, fear that I'll break some rule of etiquette of which I am not aware. But I don't really understand all the unwritten rules and I think they take away from the fun of the game.

 

A couple things I've noticed (at least at the private clubs I've played at, maybe these are not typical):

 

-You can't use a push/pull cart. Either ride a motorized cart or else have a caddy. Nothing against the caddies who all seem like very nice kids, but shouldn't a paying club member have the option to use a Clicgear cart if that's how he prefers to play golf? A caddy requires yet another tip and also adds another level of intimidation for hackers, who might just as soon not have another person around to watch them play lousy.

 

-rules about eating/drinking. When I play at my muni I pack a small cooler with gatorade, water, snacks, sometimes even a sandwich, etc. At the private club this seems to be a big faux pas. The only option is to buy things from the cart girl. Once again I have nothing against the cart girls, I just don't always want what they have to sell (and it also has to be charged to the account of the member who invited me, which makes me hesitate since as his guest I don't want to abuse his generosity).

 

-Clothing rules such as no putting on your shoes in the parking lot. OK I get it, they have a nice locker room, but what is the harm if a guest just puts on his golf shoes at his car? My first time I arrived at the club before the member who invited me, and I was unaware of this rule. A club employee (caddy master I guess) came up and told me rather snidely that I should take my golf shoes and wait for the member in the locker room.

 

-Way too much tipping and etiquette involved in who to tip, how much, who not to tip, etc... tip the caddy master, tip the caddy, tip the kid who takes the clubs out of your trunk, tip the kid who puts the clubs back in your trunk... again I don't mind tipping them for their service, but it brings in yet another intimidation factor for non-members who are not sure who/what they should be tipping. I think a lot of guests probably overtip simply because they are afraid they will look cheap to the members or staff of the club.

 

I realize there are many, many great things about a private club and since I am not a member of one perhaps I am just not used to some of the rules. But I would think some of the rules even get annoying to the actual members. I think even if I hit the lottery one day, I'll keep playing on my local muni where I can use my push cart and not tuck my shirt in if I don't want to.

[rvgolfer]

Not everyone is a good candidate for a private club and the atmospere that is created by tradition and rules of the club, and you seem to be one who wouldnt enjoy such tradition and rules,,whereas the members not only accept the situation, but also most actually embrace it.

In the end,,its to each his own,,and neither is necessarily better than the other,,its just the way it is.

[Greenie]

I have been a guess at private clubs a few times. What I didn't like was how slow play was. Foursomes,fivesomes,and sixsomes out on the course playing money games and acting like they are pros but playing like a bunch of hacks. I always get a chuckle in the slow play threads when someone says you should join a private club to avoid slow play.
The stuff you mention is typical of a private club. Not everyone is suited for their rules or that kind of lifestyle. I know I am not.

[TheMackDaddy]

Last time a played an elite country club I was rudely told to put my cell phone away... while TEXTING my Dad happy birthday!
What a joke! Upon getting to the parking lot, I again took out my phone and was again told to put it away.

There were hardly any people on the course as well. I would not fit in at a high end country club. I want to be able to go out and play in cargo shorts and a shirt, heck, I shot my lowest round ever in cargo shorts and a crewneck sweatshirt.

I get that they have their own set of rules that they can enforce but some rules just seem over the top.

I also find that even though service is top notch at private club (with the exception of some), people are way more freindly at public courses.

[saltrunner]

If your need to pack your own lunch box to play a round of golf then perhaps your not Private Club material .....

[KILLEDBYASHANKEDWEDGE]

Around my neck of the woods, private clubs have the best courses. For that reason alone I love playing them.

[butch33611]

I've been playing this game for 40 years and have played at a few clubs. I enjoy it if for no other reason it makes me laugh. All these pompus, over impressed with their own importance people all gathered together in one place. Always makes me think of the movie caddy shack. You can always pick out the stars, Oh there's judge Smeals, or doctor beeper. I roll in my 98 jeep wrangler and park next to the BMW. Would I belong to place like that? no. But it is fun to visit now and then just for a few laughs.

I do belong to a local course but its nothing fancy. All these members care about is playing golf.

[Gotblades]

[quote name='saltrunner' timestamp='1354579130' post='6014123']
If your need to pack your own lunch box to play a round of golf then perhaps your not Private Club material .....
[/quote]

This is gonna get good... *gets popcorn and sits waiting for the shizzleshow*

[MtlJeff]

I play at a pretty respected private club in the Montreal area and really none of what you said applies for me. I've played at clubs that didn't want you to change shoes in the parking lot but that isn't a big deal. But i haven't heard of clubs around here where you couldn't use a push cart, bring your own snacks or that have all kinds of personnel you need to tip. How many clubs out there are like this?

I love private clubs, i actually hate playing at public courses. If i want to see the general public i'll observe them through a powerful telescope

[Sean2]

I never played at a place like you described, so I wouldn't know. But, texting from the parking lot? Not being able to put your shoes on? Sounds a bit over the top.

[jmvargas]

as someone else has mentioned private clubs normally have the better courses vs public ones..

for that reason alone l like to play them whenever i can...

as for their rules...i just abide by them as they're normally quite reasonable and for the common good..

PS..FWIW i was a member of several private clubs in the past but decided to give them up when i kept moving because of my job......

...i still get invites to a lot of them though...

[Gongshowguy16]

I've worked at a private course and played many private courses as a guest...most respectable being Muirfield Village- Cell phone on vibrate in your pocket, No hats as soon as you step inside, they change your cleats if they are not to their standards to protect the greens. It is a golfing experience, there were no cart girls. You call in for a beer and they drive it out to you. It is not a brown bag and snack pak kind of afternoon. Is it my style? No. But was I a kid in a candy shop? Yes.

I just joined a Semi-Private club for unlimited golf and range. It has a 19th hole and cart girl which we purchase lunch and beers from every round. You make sure you know their names and the Club Pro and Owner know us all by names. It is fun, not stuck up or snobby. It is nice to get to a course, feel comfortable, and be able to walk onto #1 without ever making a tee time. That's what you pay for, conveinance.

[esketores]

I like playing at private clubs because the pace of play is acceptable. Where I play if someone is playing slow the clubhouse is called and the offending party called out for their slow play.
Other than that the place is pretty low key.
And this is from a person who spent the better part of 40 years playing on public play courses.

TOUCHE; 'If your need to pack your own lunch box to play a round of golf then perhaps your not Private Club material..."

[herbygolf21]

You sir are not Bushwood material.

[MadGolfer76]

It depends on the club. Some private clubs are more uptight than others. Sometimes I just get tired of the rat-race of public play and drive down to play with friends. Private has advantages, although I generally prefer public.

Folks don't know, but a simple call to the pro shop to ask about etiquette at any given course is not inappropriate or embarrassing.

[Mschumacher]

If your need to pack your own lunch box to play a round of golf then perhaps your not Private Club material .....

 

This is gonna get good... *gets popcorn and sits waiting for the shizzleshow*

 

[pappaf2]

[quote name='J.W.' timestamp='1354580098' post='6014223']
. Its kinda one of those things that if you can't afford $10 for popcorn, candy and a pop then you can't afford the movie either. [/quote]

This is a ridiculous statement. There is a difference between not being able to afford the $10 candy and choosing not to be ripped off.

[BrianL99]

[quote name='MtlJeff' timestamp='1354579838' post='6014187']

I love private clubs, i actually hate playing at public courses. If i want to see the general public i'll observe them through a powerful telescope
[/quote]

Montreal doesn't have a Cracker Barrel restaurant or a Wal-Mart, where you can observe the unwashed, from the safety of your locked car?

[BrianL99]

[quote name='pappaf2' timestamp='1354583369' post='6014513']
[quote name='J.W.' timestamp='1354580098' post='6014223']
. Its kinda one of those things that if you can't afford $10 for popcorn, candy and a pop then you can't afford the movie either. [/quote]

This is a ridiculous statement. There is a difference between not being able to afford the $10 candy and choosing not to be ripped off.
[/quote]

When's the last time you walked into a diner and pulled 2 eggs from your pocket and asked the cook to fry 'em up for you?

Movie theaters sell entertainment ... that includes movies, popcorn, candy, drinks & whatever. If you don't want to pay for entertainment, stay home on your couch and watch network TV.

[33 Handicap]

I concur with OP.

[BMWE82]

[quote name='butch33611' timestamp='1354579293' post='6014143']
I've been playing this game for 40 years and have played at a few clubs. I enjoy it if for no other reason it makes me laugh. All these pompus, over impressed with their own importance people all gathered together in one place. Always makes me think of the movie caddy shack. You can always pick out the stars, Oh there's judge Smeals, or doctor beeper. I roll in my 98 jeep wrangler and park next to the BMW. Would I belong to place like that? no. But it is fun to visit now and then just for a few laughs.

I do belong to a local course but its nothing fancy. All these members care about is playing golf.
[/quote]

What a great generalization. You're statement makes me "laugh". I belong to a private club that has 3 courses and most members only care about playing golf. Of course like any club you will have people who are there to impress others, but to make a blanket statement like yours shows how ignorant some people can be.

I also find the Jeep Wrangler comment comical because there are many members at my club who drive them, so does that mean its now a CC car how you described BMW. I guess I'll keep driving my BMW to the course on those below freezing winter days to play since I'm only there to impress the other pompous jerks and not play golf. Right?

[Snufles]

[quote name='33 Handicap' timestamp='1354584405' post='6014607']
I concur with OP.
[/quote]

Trying to break into the BST?

I just do not feel the need to pay overhead on crap(pool, banquet hall, fully stocked kitchen that still makes crappy food, tennis courts, locker and club storage) that I will never use.

[Tuba]

I don't get to play at the swanky private clubs very often, but I have had the opportunity to experience a few. Some I wouldn't bother to play if I lived across the street. You could feel bad vibes entering the pro shop. Others, I'd hope to enter and never leave. They not only made you feel welcome, but they seemed to actually appreciate the fact you showed up and the course was nothing short of wonderful.

[teeitlow]

I got a contractor round at Gozzer and it was pretty damn sweet, however we were given the rules and expectations prior to our tee time because...they knew we were contractors.
Enjoyed it quite a bit, but our muni's are really nice and I don't seem to fit the mold for country club living. I wouldn't turn down an invite to play a round at a private course though.
-D

[KILLEDBYASHANKEDWEDGE]

[quote name='Snufles' timestamp='1354585776' post='6014717']
[quote name='33 Handicap' timestamp='1354584405' post='6014607']
I concur with OP.
[/quote]

Trying to break into the BST?


[/quote]

The most recent return of JR?

[4thand11]

Also want to add I was not talking about the members of the clubs I've played at, most of whom have been very nice and seemed pretty down to earth considering their financial status. I'm sure there are some obnoxious jerks too, then again I've met jerks on the public course also... I am really just talking about all the rules, etiquette, tipping, etc... seems a little over the top. It's just golf! Then again I've only played maybe 4 private courses so I'm sure there are others that are more laid back as far as rules go.

As for "packing a lunch", I really just meant that even if I was a member I'd think I would like the option to bring some of my own beers or food out on the course with me, rather than pay whatever overpriced fee they charge. Then again I always sneak my own candy and soda into a movie theatre lol.

I do agree the courses are often nicer but in my experience pace of play has not always been better, I remember one club that was absolutely packed and the round took longer than almost any other round I've ever played on a public course.

[UncleJohn’sBand]

This kinda goes both ways. Ive played many really nice private courses, with the best being the Virginian in bristol va, and that was probably the best golf experience ive ever had. Everyone was nice, and I even got to play my practice round with the owner of the place, and he was one of the nicest men I have ever met. On the other hand, you have some semi-private places that think they are Murfield village. I was told by a few employees at one tournament to take off my shoes because they sounded like they had meatal spikes in them. they were FJ classics with stingers, and I explained very nicely to every one of them that the leather bottoms made the "clank," not the spikes.
At that same course, they had marshalls in every fairway to make sure you replaced your divots, and on every tee to make sure you picked up the broken tees. It was a bit over the top, but it was a nice place also. It depends on the course. The one in my area is so much fun to play, and the pro there is super nice, and will help me with my swing if it ever gets off. My guess is that some courses want to hold on to that "Bushwood" ideal, and others have embraced the new era of golf we are going into.

But what do I know? Im only 20

[dlygrisse]

I am a member of a pretty laid back private club...last night I played 18 holes in 2 1/2 hours with my buddy in a cart. Can't wear denim, cargos not a problem, shirt must have a collar, people don't seem pompus the food sucks. I have also played some more uptight clubs, the OP needs to understand not all private clubs are the same, to each his own...thats why they are PRIVATE.

Enjoy the experience or turn down the offer to play...no one is making you go. You should feel honored that a member invited you, play by their rules, enjoy it for what it is....if you don't like it don't go back.

Sounds like the OP is somewhat of a cheapskate or needs to get a better job, taking food and beer to any institution that sells that product shows a total lack of respect and class for that business, whether it is private or public. Do you take a McDonalds burger into a fine dinning restaurant because you want to enjoy the atmosphere but don't want to pay for it? Hey, nothing wrong with hanging out where you feel comfortable.....when I was younger and had no way of affording a private club I really appreciated when a member invited me, it was nice to experience what it had to offer...sure I wasn't always comfortable but you are in their world...when in Rome.....Honestly your arrogance about your way of thinking is like the pot calling the kettle black, two different points of view.....if I was the member who invited you and you expressed your feelings in this way you would not be invited back, your total lack of maturity is actually quite telling.

I have played exclusive private clubs, muni's, semi's, and 9 hole tracks where you drop money in a bucket at the first tee because they have no clubhouse or staff. I enjoyed them all for what they are. Hell....I just enjoy the game of golf....in the end what I am really looking for is a decent course that I can play in a reasonable amount of time with people I enjoy spending time with...at a price I can afford. When I go to a movie I can choose a matinee and not buy the overpriced popcorn or I might go to the $15 show with servers, dinner and overpriced cocktails because I want to relax, be comfortable and have someone serve me. Depends on my mood....$200 fine dinning dinner with wine or a burrito at 7-11? Depends on the occasion. My advice to the OP....GROW UP.

[Jc0]

It really depends on the private course that you are at. I am currently a member at a group of private courses, but they don't have caddies, you can walk however you want, bringing your own food is iffy (usually eat before), but usually a very laid back atmosphere. I have been to some private courses that is what you said plus some and I hate it. This is why when you look to join a club that you meet people and get to know the atmosphere first. Some courses will fit you better than others.

[ChipDriver]

[quote name='4thand11' timestamp='1354573895' post='6013749']
So I am most definitely not in the income bracket where I can afford a private club membership... however I've been invited as a guest several times and never really liked the experience. Perhaps it is just intimidation on my part, fear that I'll break some rule of etiquette of which I am not aware. But I don't really understand all the unwritten rules and I think they take away from the fun of the game.

A couple things I've noticed (at least at the private clubs I've played at, maybe these are not typical):

-You can't use a push/pull cart. Either ride a motorized cart or else have a caddy. Nothing against the caddies who all seem like very nice kids, but shouldn't a paying club member have the option to use a Clicgear cart if that's how he prefers to play golf? A caddy requires yet another tip and also adds another level of intimidation for hackers, who might just as soon not have another person around to watch them play lousy.

-rules about eating/drinking. When I play at my muni I pack a small cooler with gatorade, water, snacks, sometimes even a sandwich, etc. At the private club this seems to be a big faux pas. The only option is to buy things from the cart girl. Once again I have nothing against the cart girls, I just don't always want what they have to sell (and it also has to be charged to the account of the member who invited me, which makes me hesitate since as his guest I don't want to abuse his generosity).

-Clothing rules such as no putting on your shoes in the parking lot. OK I get it, they have a nice locker room, but what is the harm if a guest just puts on his golf shoes at his car? My first time I arrived at the club before the member who invited me, and I was unaware of this rule. A club employee (caddy master I guess) came up and told me rather snidely that I should take my golf shoes and wait for the member in the locker room.

-Way too much tipping and etiquette involved in who to tip, how much, who not to tip, etc... tip the caddy master, tip the caddy, tip the kid who takes the clubs out of your trunk, tip the kid who puts the clubs back in your trunk... again I don't mind tipping them for their service, but it brings in yet another intimidation factor for non-members who are not sure who/what they should be tipping. I think a lot of guests probably overtip simply because they are afraid they will look cheap to the members or staff of the club.

I realize there are many, many great things about a private club and since I am not a member of one perhaps I am just not used to some of the rules. But I would think some of the rules even get annoying to the actual members. I think even if I hit the lottery one day, I'll keep playing on my local muni where I can use my push cart and not tuck my shirt in if I don't want to.
[/quote]


I think your opinions are perfectly valid and for some people they don't find a value to the amenities that some clubs offer.

Just a suggestion - look at a country club similar to the way you'd look at a hotel. Make sense? That's how I look at it anyways. It's like a place to have a vacation - but you don't actually have to travel very far to get there. The more amenities and the nicer the "hotel" is - probably the more tipping and "etiquette" required. Next time you go - just call the front desk a few days beforehand and they'll tell you the rules they'd employ - and it will be less of a shock to you.

Hopefully you will enjoy your round better.